Garmin eTrex Legend (Best buy at $219.15)

Garmin eTrex Vista

Garmin eTrex Venture

Headquartered in Olathe, Kansas Garmin is a leader in the GPS industry. Great product features and affordable pricing make Garmin GPS devices a sound purchase for consumers. In this article we will discuss the different features and pricing of Garmin eTrex series handheld GPS devices. As usual we will start with least expensive and work our way up. You can click on any of the links without being directed away from this page.

Garmin eTrex Venture HC $199.99 

This handheld GPS device is made primarily for outdoor use such as hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Unlike Garmin’s Nuvi or Streetpilot this device is not made to give you voice turn by turn driving directions. This is made for navigating the wilderness or an unfamiliar city and will help prevent you from getting lost on your next adventure. The Venture H is the base model of the eTrex series and contains features common to higher priced models. I decide to review the next step up (HC) as the H has very limited functions and most people choose the HC because it is only a slight difference in price. 

24MB of memory allows you to upload maps through the USB interface. The Venture HC is perfect for hunting and fishing as it has information about sun and moon patterns and a hunting / fishing calendar. The unit is waterproof and powered by two AA batteries providing 14 hours of use. The high sensitivity receiver will let your unit communicate with sattelites in the deepest of cover.

Garmin eTrex Legend HCx $204.85

The eTrex Legend has all of the same feature as the Venture and then some. Additional features include the ability to add more memory (SD Card Compatible) and upload more maps. Unlike the Venture this unit can be used for the raod as well. Add your own Points of Interest and save twice as many tracks as the Venture. This unit is also powered by two AA batteries but will last up to 25 hours.

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx $219.15

In addition to the features discussed in the previous models the Vista HCx also includes an electronic compass and barometric altimeter. Primarily designed for the serious outdoorsman this gadget has some great toys for the average user. Also SD compatible this unit can be programmed with new maps and POIs.